Five questions with Jaylen Watkins

Jaylen Watkins has said the 2013 season has been rough on the whole team, but he hopes Florida goes out and competes Saturday against Florida State.

Doug Finger/Staff photographer

By Zach AbolverdiCorrespondent

Published: Thursday, November 28, 2013 at 8:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 at 5:49 p.m.

Q: How low was the locker room after Saturday's loss to Georgia Southern?

A: Everybody is pretty down. Not many words were said. We broke it down as a team. You definitely saw the leaders that are the future leaders trying to get the team together and get everybody to stick together through adversity. I'm pretty sure everybody has faced that in their lives. That's really the only message you can get from this.

Q: What do you hope the legacy of this senior class will be?

A: Just this has been a rough year for all of us. I'd like for all of us to go out and compete this last game and show the Gator Nation we still are here and that we're going to keep playing no matter what.

Q: What's been different about this season compared to other years during your UF career when the team has struggled?

A: Just the injuries. Just to see my teammates, the ones that are injured on the sideline knowing they can't help. That's the toughest thing for me. I'm pretty sure if we had all our guys this season it would be different. I'm not making any excuses, but it's tough to see everyone else play through that. We've got younger guys having to step up, but I'm pretty sure that'll be good experience for them in the future.

Q: Is there any silver lining from the injuries?

A: I mean, the next man's supposed to step up when someone's injured. So we've definitely got a lot more guys locked in, the younger guys. It should be a learning lesson to everyone that your time could come up at any moment.

Q: How do you feel like they've responded?

A: You try to go man down, man up, and go to the next guy in line and support them because they're going into a big atmosphere. Especially a younger guy like Jarrad Davis or Alex Anzalone and try to convince them you have their back no matter what mistake they make. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because we're all out here together.

<p><b>Q:</b> How low was the locker room after Saturday's loss to Georgia Southern?</p><p><b>A:</b> Everybody is pretty down. Not many words were said. We broke it down as a team. You definitely saw the leaders that are the future leaders trying to get the team together and get everybody to stick together through adversity. I'm pretty sure everybody has faced that in their lives. That's really the only message you can get from this.</p><p><b>Q:</b> What do you hope the legacy of this senior class will be?</p><p><b>A:</b> Just this has been a rough year for all of us. I'd like for all of us to go out and compete this last game and show the Gator Nation we still are here and that we're going to keep playing no matter what.</p><p><b>Q:</b> What's been different about this season compared to other years during your UF career when the team has struggled?</p><p><b>A:</b> Just the injuries. Just to see my teammates, the ones that are injured on the sideline knowing they can't help. That's the toughest thing for me. I'm pretty sure if we had all our guys this season it would be different. I'm not making any excuses, but it's tough to see everyone else play through that. We've got younger guys having to step up, but I'm pretty sure that'll be good experience for them in the future.</p><p><b>Q:</b> Is there any silver lining from the injuries?</p><p><b>A:</b> I mean, the next man's supposed to step up when someone's injured. So we've definitely got a lot more guys locked in, the younger guys. It should be a learning lesson to everyone that your time could come up at any moment.</p><p><b>Q:</b> How do you feel like they've responded?</p><p><b>A:</b> You try to go man down, man up, and go to the next guy in line and support them because they're going into a big atmosphere. Especially a younger guy like Jarrad Davis or Alex Anzalone and try to convince them you have their back no matter what mistake they make. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because we're all out here together.</p>